Hidden in the Shadows
by jillian073
Summary: The forest has become her home. Her safe haven. No one knows she is alive. They can't know she's alive. When Beatrice Prior wakes up covered in dirt, in the middle of no where, and without a family, she knows she cannot return to the city. Against all odds she manages to survive. What will happen when an unsuspecting group of teens find her? Will her kidnappers come back for her?
1. Prologue

_**A/N: I DO NOT OWN DIVERGENT! ALL CHARACTERS AND SOME PLOT BELONG TO VERONICA ROTH. OTHER PARTS OF THE PLOT BELONG TO ME. K thanks! Now here's the prologue..**_

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><p><em>Prologue- Anonymous P.O.V<em>

Rain pours onto the windshield of my black van as I drive on the abandoned pathway in the mountains, just south of Chicago. The thick woods fly by in a shadowy blur, their colors invisible in the black of the night. I try to remember how _I_ was the one who got stuck with this job. "Because we don't want to do it," they told me. They said it was my job to finish what I started. I didn't argue. There is no arguing with them, if you know what's good for you.

Once I decide that I am far enough into the trees and plants and mud- far enough hidden from civilization, I quickly brake and jump out of the driver's seat in a rush. I pivot to the opposite side of the van and open the trunk. She lies with a black blanket wrapped around her, so all that is visible is her feet and a few locks of her blonde hair, some of which are now partially stained with dried blood. I lift her limp body out of the trunk and throw it over my shoulder and begin the hike further into the brush.

A smirk crosses my face at the memory of finding her and her brother. It was almost too simple. The selfless ways taught to them by their parents made it impossible for them to ignore me when I asked them to help me carry boxes to my car. She, being only ten, and he, being only eleven, were just children and were more than light enough for me to lift them both at the same time and throw them into the car. And bam- they were ours. Their parents should've listened to us from the first threat we sent. But they didn't. They were stubborn. They refused to listen. They refused to follow our orders. They refused to believe in what we are capable of. And they paid the consequences.

I press on through the the thick trees and rain, tree branches occasionally slapping against my face in the dead of the night and causing a few curse words to reflexively launch from my mouth. Instinctively, I whip my head around and squint to peer behind, double and triple checking that I am not being followed, though I am certain that no soul in their right mind would be on a hike in the mountains so late at night, especially in such weather. Not even the spiders that hang in the trees are here as witness. I continue to make my way up farther into the mountains, deeper into the wilderness. Farther from civilization. Farther from safety and clues and anything that could connect us to her disappearance.

After trudging through mud and muck for what could have been hours, I know that she will be hidden well enough where I stand. I stop abruptly and take her from my shoulder and drop her in the dirt, not bothering to be gentle. As her body hits the semi-solid ground, she emits a low groan. My eyebrows raise slightly in surprise. Somehow, this puny little girl is not yet dead. No matter. I have no need to waste my energy on finishing her off when nature, disease, and wild animals are here to complete the job for me. I simply just kick some dirt and leaves on top of her nearly-lifeless form.

Another smirk crosses my face as I observe the state we have put her in. Where the blanket has uncovered slightly, I see the mix of different shades of purple and blue and red that covered her face in bruises, cuts, and blood. The skin in between her eyebrows is furrowed in pain. _"Not so tough and defiant now, are we?" _I think to myself as memories of the fire and strength that developed in her eyes. She was different than her brother – while the fear was still there, it was combined with strength and defiance and determination, which when combined, can create on of the most dangerous emotions there are. Passion, the emotion that allows one to do anything. It does not matter anymore, though. A fire that burns that bright isn't meant to last. And we put out the flame.

I take one last glance and pivot on my heel as I begin to make the trek back toward the van as the feeling of satisfaction, that a weight has been lifted from my shoulders, sweeps over me. I know they will be pleased.

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><p><strong><em>AN: Thanks for reading! I hope you all enjoyed! If you did, be sure to favorite and follow so that you will get notifications when my stories are updated. Be sure to review! Comments and criticism are greatly appreciated! Also, please check out my other Divergent story, _****_The Girl Dressed in Black_****_. To those of you who have already read my other story, I am so sorry for not updating in a little while! It been pretty hectic - there was an accident and i am still recovering from being in the hospital, so PLEASE forgive me!_**

**_Thanks Babes_**

**_~Jillian_**


	2. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much for the reviews on the prologue! Now without further or due... chapter 1...**_

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><p><em><span>Chapter 1<span>_

It did not take me long to master the snare-trap. When I was younger, maybe from the ages eight to ten, my father would take my brother and me on camping trips as frequently as he could. He would teach us all about how to survive in the wilderness. Thanks to him, I know what plants are safe for consumption, how to find shelter in an unknown place, and how to set snares to catch animals. He told us that these were important skills to have in case someone needed our help and civilization was not near. Now, I know he also taught us in case we needed to save ourselves, though he would never admit it. Both my parents were very selfless people, and they always taught us to put others before ourselves. I realize now that there are times to be selfless and help someone else, but there also times to be selfish and save ourselves. I used to be Beatrice the selfless. Then, I became Tris the brave and selfish. I suppose now I have become more than either.

I glance toward to sun, and accordingly decide that it is around midday. That means I have been out collecting supplies and setting and resetting snares for approximately four hours. My eyes sweep around the forest. To the normal eye, these woods would be seen as trees and plants and dirt. But I have grown to cherish the forest – my safe haven, my home.

I begin to sing a song I recall my mother singing to me when I was a child as I return my attention to my current snare, which has captured a rabbit. I look down at the rabbit as it struggles in the trap and looks around with frightened eyes; I contemplate my options. I could kill the rabbit, which is not dead, unlike my other catches. Or I could set it free. As much as I know I need to eat, I promised myself, those six years ago that I woke up beaten, bloody, bruised, lost, and alone, that I would never allow someone to cause such immense pain to another. I continue to sing the calming tune as I carefully gain the rabbit's trust and begin to undo the snare from around its foot. I hold it in my hands for a moment as I sit down with my back against the trunk of the tree, and I stroke the rabbit's head before setting it down on the dirt and watching as it hops away.

All of a sudden I hear the rustling of a bush, and I freeze. Then, I hear a voice whisper-yell, "Ow! Fuck you, Zeke!" then the sound of a hand slapping skin. I jump up from my sitting position and pull the knife out of my boot.

"Who's there?" I shout, my voice slightly quivering as I slowly turn in circles with the knife pointed out from my body. Everything remains unnaturally still and eerie. "Who's there?!" I yell in the most intimidating voice I can muster, my eyes hard and cold.

It may have have been hours, minutes, seconds of silence before I hear the rustling of bushes and trees and pine straw coming from the right of me. I quickly whip my body to the side and reposition myself in fighting stance, my knife still in front of me. A shape emerges from the shadows, a man. He is tall, muscular, and has dark brown hair. His tight, short-sleeve shirt only emphasizes the strength in his tan arms and rock-solid core. Three more men come into view. One, the shortest of the quite tall bunch, has shaggy, blonde hair, while the other two look quite similar, other than their heights, due to their dark hair and tan complexions. And they are walking towards me.

_Four P.O.V_

"Give that back to me right now!" Uriah yells as he tackles Zeke to the ground. He promptly sits on Zeke's head and grabs the bag of beef jerky from his hand. I then snatch the bag from Uriah, walk ahead, and quickly unzip the bag as I take a few pieces and shove them into my mouth. Will puts a hand on my neck and applies pressure to my pressure point, causing me to drop to the ground and him to gain captivity of the snack. I turn around and continue to walk through the trees backwards. The girls, Christina, Marlene, and Shauna, are walking behind us, giggling at our childish antics. Except Lynn, who just smirks and rolls her eyes. I return the grin before returning to walking forwards.

About a week or two ago, we made the decision that for our spring break, our group would go on a vacation together. After much bickering, we decided to go on a week-long camping trip, much to Christina's demise. Currently, we are hiking through the mountains just south of Chicago. Each of us is carrying a large backpack that holds all necessities for the week, as well as tents and food. We are not following a specific trail, knowing that the unknown is always more fun than what is familiar. So we wander to nowhere in particular, in search of the perfect area to set up camp.

After another hour or so of hiking, most conversation has died down, and we walk in a near-silence. It is not an awkward silence, but a comfortable one. One that can be shared and enjoyed between only the closest group of friends. I gaze around my surroundings. The day is beautiful. The midday sunlight refracts perfectly through the canopy of bright green leaves, causing shadows of trees to be cast on the pine straw and dirt ground. I continue to lead the group and focus on the sound of the wind and rustling leaves.

Suddenly I hear a tune so sweet, it sounds like honey. It snaps me into reality and I pause for a second, my eyes darting around in search of the source. I decide it is just the wind and my imagination and continue to walk. Then, a few minutes later, I hear the tune again, but slightly louder. I know I am not just imagining this. Abruptly, I stop walking again and turn around to face the others. In a soft voice, I say, "Listen," I pause for a second, "Do you guys hear that?"

"I hear it too!" Christina replies, her voice toned-down as well.

"I thought I was just hearing things," Shauna explains.

In the spur of the moment, I get an idea. "Follow me guys," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Where are we going?" Zeke questions.

"To find out who or what is making that sound." I don't know why I have the urge to discover the source of the sweet music, but I feel like I need to. Like it is calling for me.

I lead us towards the root of the song, taking quiet steps as the sweet notes become louder and clearer. We come to a slight clearing in the middle of the forest and are about to walk into the glade, when I stop in my tracks, causing everyone to do the same. Right in the center of the clearing sits a few large trees with snares attached to them. But neither the trees nor the traps are what catch my attention. It's the girl who stands by the tree, the girl who is resetting the snares and removing the dead animals from them. We all duck behind the shield of plants and darkness and observe her. She is quite short, possibly five-two or five-three in height and extremely thin. Her light, blonde hair is slightly dirty and cascades down her back in messy waves. She is dressed in a black, long sleeved t-shirt, black jeans, and worn, black leather boots and has an old brown backpack slung over her shoulders. Her hands and face and any other visible skin are dusted with dirt and mud, making her tan complexion stand out. She sings a song with a voice so sweet and delicate, even the birds stop their chirping to listen and watch as she carefully and skillfully deals with her traps.

The girl walks over to the last trap she hasn't yet reset and pauses as she notices the rabbit caught in the snare is not dead, unlike the rest the them. It squirms and struggles, trying to escape, its eyes wide with fear. She crouches down beside it, seemingly having an internal debate. Then, she carefully and soothingly takes it in her hands and begins to undo the snare. Once untangled from the trap, the rabbit seems to gain some trust in the girl and does not try to scurry away. She sits with her back to the tree and strokes the rabbit's fur, her song not pausing once. After a few minutes, she softly places the creature on the ground, and it hops off and disappears in the trees.

Zeke begins to come closer to me, moving silently, when he accidentally steps on Uriah foot. He yells out in pain, "Ow! Fuck you, Zeke!" Realizing how loud he had been, he slaps his hand over his mouth. Quickly, we all refocus our attention to the girl, who has jumped to her feet and is pulling a medium-sized knife from her boot. We freeze, unsure of how to react as she shouts, "Who's there?" her voice slightly shaky. She slowly turns in circles, the knife pointed outwards. "Who's there?!" she yells in a much more confident and quite intimidating voice, especially for someone of her size. Her eyebrows are scrunched in anger, fear, and an unreadable expression.

I turn to look at my friends. The girls look nervous, scared, as the hold onto each other. Even Lynn appears distressed by the current situation. Zeke, Will, and Uriah, however, seem to be confused, but slightly concerned, similar to me. I catch Zeke's gaze and we share a quick mental discussion, seeming to know what the other is thinking. I give him one last nod before standing from my crouched position and beginning to make my way out of our hiding place.

The girl now has her knife pointed in my direction and stands in a flawless fighting stance as I come into her view. The next thing I know, Zeke, Uriah, and Will are coming up behind me, and we carefully approach the girl. I hold my hands out in front of me, trying to show that I mean no harm. She backs away slightly as we get closer until I stop walking, the others following suit. "Hello," I say in what I can only hope is a friendly tone. Being friendly isn't exactly my strong point.

She neither brings her knife down nor backs farther away. She only adjusts her posture and expression. Her eyes are filled with a fire that screams strength, defiance, and confidence, but behind them, I see fear. "Who are you?" she questions with the same intimidating voice.

"My name is Four," I explain, "These are my friends Zeke, Uriah, and Will."

"Hello," Uriah says, "What is your name?"

"Why should I tell you?" she questions angrily, not backing down.

"We aren't going to hurt you," Zeke adds kindly.

She lets out a sarcastic chuckle. "You really expect me to believe that? Who do you work for?"

"Work for? We –" I begin before she cuts me off.

"Is it The Eye? Do you work for The Eye?"

"The who?" Will asks.

"Did they finally realize they can't get rid of me that easily? Did they finally realize they failed? That I am not dead?"

I am about to respond, but she continues.

"Send them a message for me, will you? Let them know that I am still here and that I am ready to fight for myself and the rest of us. Tell them that they will never control me again. And tell them that if they send anyone else out here for me, I will not hesitate to kill them," she finishes and takes off in a run.

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><p><em><strong>AN: Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed! If you did, be sure to favorite and follow to get notifications when a new chapter is uploaded. Please review! - comments and criticism and greatly appreciated. Also, check out when other Divergent story, "The Girl Dressed in Black".**_

_**Thanks Babes!**_

_**~Jillian**_


	3. Chapter 2

**_A/N: I own a piece of glass that's shaped like a monkey. I also own a jar filled with Hershey Kisses. But I don't own Divergent - that belongs to Veronica Roth._**

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><p><em><span>Chapter 2<span>_

_Four P.O.V_

We do not move a muscle, too stunned to do anything. I quickly snap out of my trance and set off in a run after her. The guys must be thinking the same thing, because they are right behind me as we chase the small blonde. I have so many questions to ask. _Why is she is the forest, hunting for food? What is The Eye? Who are the people that the girl will protect? _The question that stands out among the others is: _She's supposed to be dead? Someone tried to kill her?_

She comes back into our view and peaks over her shoulder when she hears our feet smacking against the pine straw. Her eyes widen and she picks up her pace, sprinting and dodging through the trees. I focus all my attention to making sure I don't lose track of the girl. I also speed up – she's faster than I would have imagined. But her small frame's speed is no match for someone's who is as tall as I am, so I begin to gain up on her. Again, she looks over her shoulder to find me getting closer to her, and she pushes with every ounce of energy she has to run quicker. She refocuses her attention to the woods in front of her.

Suddenly, she begins to slow down her pace slightly. Confused, I do the same. The girl does not stop jogging, though. She looks up slightly. It is then that I realize we have come to a steep, rocky wall-like mountain. Her eyes sweep across the humungous structure. She pauses as she approaches the ridge, panic evident in her posture and the way she whips her head side to side, looking for another option. Another escape.

I am suddenly saddened. Someone has hurt this girl so far beyond repair, that she has lost trust in all people. Someone tried to kill her. Someone thinks they killed her and are proud of it. The thought fills me with a blinding rage that confuses me, as I don't know why I feel so strongly for the girl, who I do not know at all. All I know is that I understand the inability to trust. I have been there too. I have also been hurt beyond repair. And I know that no one should be alone, afraid, and harmed to such a point.

I am now less than five yards away from reaching the girl. Before I can make my way completely to her, suddenly, she jumps and grabs hold of a notch in the side of the mountain. She climbs up the ridge at an alarmingly fast speed, her feet hooked inside of any groove in the wall that she can find. By the time I reach the bluff, along with Uriah, Will, and Zeke, whom I have forgotten are here, the girl is far out of our reach.

"Please!" Uriah shouts, "We promise we will not hurt you!"

"Please come down! We just want to help you" I add, almost desperately.

This comment must catch her by surprise because she freezes and stops climbing climbing.

"Listen," I plead, "We have no idea what 'The Eye' is or who you are or who is after you. All we want is to help you."

"Why should I believe you?" she asks, her voice returning to its shaky state, "Why should I trust anything you are saying to me?"

"That is a very good question, especially since you have no reason to believe me. After all, everything you know about me is that I'm called Four, these are my friends, and that we just chased you through the forest," I explain, "But all I'm asking for is a chance. A chance to gain your trust."

She does not respond. But she does not continue to climb ahead, either. Without a word she places her foot on a rock below her. Then the other foot in another groove in the stone as she climbs toward us. I turn to look at the others. Zeke, Will, Uriah, and I all share looks and small smiles. The feelings of success and pride fill me at the fact that she may possibly have an ounce of faith.

All of a sudden, we hear the sound of small rocks falling against each other and snap our attention back to the girl. Where she had placed her feet in the bluff, the rock was weak and crumbled from beneath her. My eyes widen in realization – she is hanging from the ridge by her hands. Due to her short build, her legs cannot reach any other grooves to hook her feet in. A strong gasp escapes her mouth as she tightens her grip. I can tell she is strong, her strength visible in her arms and posture. But if she slips, the likelihood of her getting seriously injured, or worse, is extremely high.

"Hold on!" Zeke yells to her. My mind begins to race as I think of a way to help her. I could climb up, but if the stone could not withstand her small weight, the chances of it being able to hold mine are nonexistent. She could try to find another place to secure her feet, but again, she can't reach. Suddenly, I have an idea. But it requires her to trust me, even if for just a second.

_Tris P.O.V_

"Send them a message for me, will you? Let them know that I am still here and that I am ready to fight for myself and the rest of us. Tell them that they will never control me again. And tell them that if they send anyone else out here for me, I will not hesitate to kill them," I finish before taking off in a run.

Weaving through the trees, pine straw crunches beneath my feet as I move as swiftly and as fast as I can. I do not pay any attention to where I am going, for only one coherent thought forms in my mind: I need to get away from them. They say they aren't working for anyone? If they weren't trying to find me, if they weren't working for The Eye, why would they be so far into _my _secluded area in these woods, so far from the path that campers follow? I internally scoff as I remember one of them telling me they wouldn't hurt me. I won't believe such a statement again.

I'm broken for my reverie by the sound of more footsteps running behind me. Peaking over my shoulder, I see the same four guys as before running after me. My eyes widen in fear. If they didn't want to finish the job that was begun six years ago, they would not be following me. I exert every ounce of energy and strength and run as quickly as my shorts legs will allow. Unfortunately, I know that the boys are much taller and obviously stronger than me and that I need to think of an escape plan _now._

I glance over my shoulder once again to find they are gaining on me. Refocusing my attention, I survey the terrain, which I begin to recognize. Panic fills me as I realize where we are running in the direction of: the stone bluff. "_Shit. It's a dead end!" _I think to myself as I slow my pace and skim my eyes over the ridge, looking for _some _way to escape. As desperate ideas and methods flow rapidly through my mind, only one thought stands out as a solution. Climbing.

I jump as high as I can and grab hold of any rocks that jut out of the side of the bluff. Using grooves and bulges in the stone, I pull myself up and begin to scale the ridge faster than I knew I was capable of. I glance downwards only to find I have put more distance between and ground and me than I thought. More distance between me and the men, who have caught up to me and are standing at the bottom of the stone. Fearful, I continue to make my way to the top of the mountainous structure. The height does not scare me, though – it gives me an adrenaline rush that propels me further.

"Please!" one of them shouts, "We promise we will not hurt you!" _Yeah, right._

"Please come down! We just want to help you!" the one called Four pleads. I stop dead in my tracks. Help me? He said they want to help me. The phrase reminds me so much of my parents and brother that my eyes gloss over with tears that threaten to spill over. "Listen," he continues, "We have no idea what 'The Eye' is or who you are or who is after you. All we want is to help you."

"Why should I believe you?" I ask, the confidence and intimidation in my voice gone and replaced with a quivering tone, "Why should I trust anything you are saying to me?"

"That is a very good question, especially since you have no reason to believe me. After all, everything you know about me is that I'm called Four, these are my friends, and that we just chased you through the forest," he explains, "But all I'm asking for is a chance. A chance to gain your trust."

I have no idea how to respond. Something about his voice sounds pure, like his words scream honesty. Somewhere in me, I trust him and his somehow-comforting words. Somewhere in me, I want to believe that these men _do _want to help me, that they truly are clueless about my situation. Somewhere in me, I yearn for the comfort of human contact and someone to be there for me. Somewhere in me, I know that they won't hurt me. And so I begin to climb down, one step at a time.

Suddenly, as I apply my weight to the newest juts and bulges, the rock crumbles from beneath my feet. I let out a gasp and use all the strength in my arms to hold on to the ridge. My feet search for a new place to stand, but none are within reach.

"Hold on!" another one of the me yell to me.

I continue to attempt to pull myself to the rocks my hands hand on, but to no avail.

"I have an idea," Four shouts, "But you will have to trust me. Only for a second, but you will have to trust me.

"Okay!" I yell as I feel the stones my hands hold on to are coming lose. Before he can begin to explain his plan, the stone underneath my right hand gives out falls, leaving me dangling by my left hand. A scream lurches from my mouth before I can conceal it.

"Just let go!" Fours yells.

"Hell, no!" I scream.

"We will catch you! I promise!" he yells back desperately.

I do not want to jump into these unknown men's arms. I may have decided I would climb down to them, but I do not trust them enough to know they will actually catch me. But I am running out of options. I can let go and hope they catch me. Or I can fall.

I shut my eyes and release the hold of my left hand. And I await the embrace of the pine straw and dirt-covered ground.

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><p><em><strong>AN: Hey guys! Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed, be sure to favorite and follow so you can get notified when a new chapter is uploaded! Also, if you have feedback, please leave a review. Comments and criticism are always very useful! I hope y'all had a awesome Christmas or Hanukkah and are having a fabulous winter break :3**_

_**Thanks Babes**_

_**~Jillian**_


	4. Chapter 3

_**A/N: I do not own Divergent or its characters: that would be Veronica Roth's. I only own my parts of the plots and ideas. Thanks :)**_

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><p><em><span>Chapter 3<span>_

_Tris P.O.V_

All time seems to stop as a fall, my fate uncertain and in the hands of four boys I do not even know. I wait for the painful contact of ground to come, focusing on the rush of wind surrounding my body. If they are who they claim to be, then I shouldn't be worried, but if they work for The Eye, then my life will end within the next few seconds. I silently pray the answer is not the latter, although I expect the worst of people. My time cannot yet be done. I have a family to avenge.

When the impact finally comes, it is nothing like I thought it would be. Rather than the hard, cold ground, I hit something soft, yet strangely hard. The world seems to have gone silent. Am I dead? Is this what death is like – painless and peaceful?

I release a breath I didn't know I was holding and pry my eyelids open. As soon as my vision comes into focus and I see the bright blue sky littered with pure-white clouds, I know I am not dead. Wait. "_I'm not dead!" _I shut my eyes once again and reopen them only to return my gaze to the canopy of azure above me. Closing my eyes one last time, I turn my head to the side and open them, and find myself staring into a pair of midnight blue eyes. They are dark, a dreaming, sleeping, waiting color. I put the pieces of the current situation together.

I jump up and back away until my back is pressed against the stone bluff, quickly retrieving my knife from my shoe. The four men are watching me with wide eyes as their hands are all connected, forming a net-like structure, presumably the one I was caught with. After they release each other, no one moves. For what could have been hours, we stand their watching each other.

Four speaks up first, "Hello."

I do not move or react for a move moments. Then I respond, "Hi."

"Can you tell me what your name is?"

"No," I respond immediately.

"Okay, well, in order for you to answer my question, I'm assuming I need to earn you trust." I respond with a terse nod and flick my eyebrows up as to say _"obviously"_. "Alright, well we will answer any of your questions."

I am about to begin interrogating them, when a voice and footsteps interrupt my train of thought.

"Here you guys are!" a girl's voice rings as she comes towards us followed by a few other girls, "We started following you, but we thought we –" she stops talking when her eyes find me and my knife, and she notices the boys' cautious positions. The girls approach the guys and stop next to them. There are more people here than I thought, which only makes me even more weary.

"Hey there!" a girl with mocha-colored skin exclaims cheerily.

"Chris, not right now," another girl scolds.

"So, what questions do you have?" Four repeats.

"Who are you people?" I ask suspiciously, confidently, aggressively.

"Well, as you know, my name is Four," he begins, "This is Zeke," – a boy with bronze skin and dark hair – "Uriah," – the boy who looks very similar to Zeke – "Will," – a boy with shaggy blonde hair – "Christina," – the girl with mocha skin and dark brown hair – "Marlene," – a girl with light brown hair – "Shauna," – a girl with dark hair – "and Lynn" – a girl with short, brown hair, half of which has been buzzed off.

I nod curtly. "Why are you in the mountains? Why are you in _my _hidden area? Nobody ever comes out here. Almost ever."

"This is our spring break. We came out here to go camping for the week."

"Then why didn't you follow the trail? You know – where all the other campers go?"

"We like adventure," he gives a small smirk, "The trails are too safe and known and _boring_."

I listen to their story intently. Although I know they have done nothing to harm me or prove that they even _want _to hurt me, I cannot find it in myself to trust them. It's been so long since I could trust anyone. Well, other than Tori to be specific, and the odds of this whole situation being a coincidence seem too slim. "What is in your backpacks?"

He takes his bag off from around his shoulders and tosses it towards me. "You can look if you want. You can look in all our bags if you feel like it." The others nod enthusiastically, agreeing with Four.

I narrow my eyes, but take a few steps forward, retrieving the bag before instantly returning to my original spot. Unzipping the bag, I find nothing out of the ordinary: just some clothes, snacks, and other camping necessities. I toss the bag back to him.

"I understand your story. But that is all it may be: _a story_. I have no idea how to know if you are telling the truth," I say after a moment, receiving a few understanding nods.

"That sounds reasonable." Four replies, "But do we have enough trust to know your name?"

I gaze intently upon their faces, searching for any sign of dishonesty, but find none. Hesitating, I try to think of a name to tell them, since I don't want them to know who I really am, and finally reply, "You can call me Six."

"Well, Six," the girl, Christina, smiles, "it's nice to meet you."

I nod in response before lifting my gaze to the sky, watching the clouds and sun and listening to the wind.

"Did you all say you came out to stay here for a week? _This _week?" I question.

They nod.

I let out a sarcastic laugh, "Are you stupid?" Are they really dumb enough to camp out during this time of year?

Zeke speaks up, "Well, my brother, Uriah, here is, but I'm not, so I think you're mistaken."

Uriah slaps him on the back of the head. "Hey! You lowered my ego," he complains with mock hurt.

"Yeah," Marlene replies, "only to about the size of Asia."

I snort and let out a small chuckle, actions and sounds that feel foreign. "But seriously, why did you chose to come out here this week of all weeks?"

"I guess just because it's spring break," Four answers, "Why?"

"Did any of you bother checking the weather?"

Silence.

"Well that explains it. This week is what I call the Tantrum."

"The Tantrum?"

"Yeah. It's a huge storm that visits these mountains every spring, with hard rains and strong winds."

"Well, shit," Lynn mumbles.

I raise my eyebrows and wait. For what exactly, I'm not sure.

Shauna is the first to speak up, "Where do you go during the storm?"

I hesitate, a reply I find myself using a lot. "I stay in the cave, but sometimes I stay with Tori."

"Tori?" _Crap. _I feel my face visibly pale. I shouldn't have said that. "It's okay, you don't have to answer that."

I relax. "Thanks,"

"Six, could you show us wear your camping site is? So we can camp with you?" Uriah asks.

My eyes harden and I scoff. "Camping site? I don't 'go camping'. I live here. This is my home," I gesture to the surrounding forest. "This isn't a game for me. I don't have the luxury of 'games'."

"Oh," he replies, regret written all over his face, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

I sigh. "I know. I'm used to it, anyways. I mean, I've been out here for so long."

"Six, I know this is a lot to ask, but we answered your questions. Could you answer some of ours? No pressure," Four inquires.

I take a few steps forward and sit down in the dirt, making sure my knife is held firmly between my hand, just is case of emergency. I nod curtly again. "I guess. But sit – we're probably going to be here for a while."

They all drop to the ground quickly, like children being told they will be read a bedtime story.

"Alright," Four begins, "How long have you been living out here?"

"Six years," I respond without emotion.

They all raise their eyebrows and their eyes widen in shock, a few girls letting out a gasp. I remind myself to show no emotion. _"They won't figure out my story if I show them no emotion," _I think to myself.

"How old are you?" Four continues.

"Sixteen."

"Same as Christina, Uriah, Marlene, Will, and Lynn," he informs, "Is Six a nickname?"

"Is Four a nickname?" I retort.

"Touche," he smiles.

I reciprocate by giving a small smile.

"Why do you live is the forest?"  
>I contemplate the many different ways to answer that question. I obvious won't tell him the whole story, but after I accused him of being part of The Eye, I sort of gave him a glimpse of what I am going through, so I decide on giving him part of the truth. "I am safe here."<p>

He pauses for a moment before continuing, "Why are you not safe in the city?"

Again I pause before answering, "They will find me if I go back."

There are a few minutes of uncomfortable silence before Will speaks up, "What is The Eye?"

My eyes harden and become cold and distant. My heart clenches as memories from six years ago come and go in snip-its: being beaten, being tested on, getting treated like an object. Other innocent people who are – were – like me being murdered. My parents and brother being murdered. Before I can let my thoughts escalate any further, I respond so low, it is almost a whisper, "They are the ones who ruined everything." _They will pay._

"How so?" Will persists.

After a moment, I rise and say, "That is enough questions for today. If you want a good place to camp and especially if you want to survive the Tantrum, I recommend following me."

They quickly follow suit and follow me as I begin to walk away. Thoughts of The Eye still wrack my mind. The anger and sadness that fills me to the brim is overwhelming, and only one clear opinion is formed: _They Eye took everything important to me away. And I will not stop until the favor has been returned._

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed! If you did please follow and favorite to be notified when the next chapter comes out! Also, comments and criticism are pretty useful, so please leave me a comment!**_

_**I also wanted to apologize for not posting in a little while**_– _**I have been so busy applying to high schools and recovering from being in an accident, so I haven't had much of a chance to update.**_

_**I promise I'll try my hardest to update more frequently !**_

_**Thanks Babes :3**_

_**~Jillian **___


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